1. Field
This disclosure relates to distributed networks, more particularly to resource management in distributed networks to expedite port release.
2. Background
A distributed network, as the term is used here, typically involves several customers utilizing the same points-of-presence (POP) to access a wholesale dial-up network. For example, wholesaler ABC may own the physical lines and routers and other network equipment, which it then leases to customers 1 through 50. Users that obtain their network service from customer 1 may dial into the same POP as users obtaining their network service from customer 50. Customers may also be referred to as Internet Service Providers (ISP), although the scenarios in which this occurs may not be limited to Internet Protocol (IP) networks.
The distributed aspect of the network lies in the nature of the administration. Having several different customers using the same wholesale network may lead to bottlenecks in tracking, accounting, authorizing and authenticating user for each customer. In some instances, these administrative tasks are distributed across the network and these networks will be referred to as distributed networks.
In distributed networks, sometimes there are delays in providing all of the various administrative devices the updated information. For example, a gateway located in a POP may receive accounting information related to one customer's use of a particular port on the POP. The gateway transmits that information to an administrative server somewhere else in the network, which then records, or posts, the information indicating that the port is busy. At some point, that port is released and the updated information will be transmitted to the same administrative server.
During the period of time between when the port is released and the administrative server records the release, several call requests may be improperly rejected. This delay may increase with any buffering performed in the system. The port may actually be able to accept a new call or calls, but the system has outdated information and therefore rejects the calls that could actually be accepted.
Therefore, it would be useful if some method and device were available that would allow the system to expedite release of the ports without having to wait for a distributed administrative device to be updated.